City Engineer Todd Pfitzer said the area around 144th and Blondo streets has always had problems with congestion, making the roadwork necessary.

“We’ve extended the turn lane,” Pfitzer said. “It’s going to be so much better when it’s done than it’s ever been before.”

Wendy Lund said she’s seen and heard enough of the construction and congestion to make her nervous for next week.

“With our house backing up to 144th, we heard two accidents in three days,” Lund said. “You run to the window and take a look and it's always right here where the kids are going to be crossing to school on Monday.”

Lund’s son, Christian, is a fifth-grader at Ezra Millard Elementary and has concerns, too.

“It is going to be scary with all of the cars coming down and trying to get through the neighborhood as fast as they can,” Christian said.

Lund said they live too close to the school to take the bus, and with safety concerns, there aren't many options.

“We don't want to drive because it seems like there's limited space for the cars so we want to walk, but then walking seems like that’s not going to be any safer,” Lund said.

An extended drop-off lane was added to accommodate parents taking children to school and will be completed by Monday.

The construction on Blondo Street won’t be finished until the end of next week at the earliest, and the entire project is expected to be done by next summer.

The city suggests parents walk their kids to school or carpool to alleviate congestion.

(39:57-40:03 I'll be walking with him i think a lot of parents will be walking with their kids more than normal) ORANGE CONSTRUCTION CONES - ROAD CLOSED SIGNS - áIRRITATING FOR DRIVERS-- BUT áDANGEROUS FOR KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL! TONIGHT - CONCERN IN MILLARD - KIDS START SCHOOL MONDAY - AND SOME ROADS AREN'T READY. GOOD EVENING, I'M MELISSA FRY. SOME PROJECTS WERE áSUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED... BUT NOW - ITS LOOKING LIKE NEXT SUMMER. LITTLE COMFORT TO PARENTS.. AND KIDS NEAR EZRA MILLARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S CHINH DOAN reports. WITH THE BIG STORY AT SIX. WENDY LUND SAYS SHE'S SEEN AND HEARD ENOUGH OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND CONGESTION TO MAKE HER NERVOUS FOR NEXT WEEK. wendy lund, concerned parent (wendy: "with our house backing up to 144th we heard two accidents in three days which you run to the window and take a look and it's always right here where the kids are going to be crossing to school on monday" ) HER SON CHRISTIAN IS A FIFTH GRADER AT EZRA MILLARD ELEMENTARY... JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THEIR HOME. christian lund, student at ezra millard elementary (christian: "it is going to be scary with all of the cars coming down and trying to get through the neighborhood as fast as they can" ) THE LUNDS LIVE TOO CLOSE TO SCHOOL TO TAKE THE BUS.(wendy: "we don't want to drive because it seems like there's limited space for the cars so we want to walk but then walking seems like is that going to be any safer" ) LUND SAYS CONSTRUCTION ALONG 144TH AND BLONDO IS CAUSING MORE THAN JUST PROBLEMS FOR COMMUTERS ON THOSE MAIN STREETS.(wendy: one of our biggest concerns is that people are frustrated oh there's construction and traffic will race through the school sorry through neighorhood, a lot of speeding cars thinking they can get through and they cant, there we go ) todd pfitzer, city of omaha engineer CITY ENGINEER TODD PFITZER SAYS THIS AREA HAS ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH CONGESTION... A REASON HE SAYS THE ROADWORK IS SO NECESSARY. THERE'S NOW AN EXTENDED DROP OFF LANE - FOR PARENTS TAKING KIDS TO SCHOOL.(todd: "We've extended the turn lane and things it's going to be so much better when it's done than it's ever been before" ) PARENTS JUST ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHEN going THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.(Wendy: "cars just slow down through here that's my biggest wish is just be aware that these kids have no control over the construction" ) CHINH DOAN, REPORTING THAT NEW DROP OFF LANE WILL BE READY IN TIME FOR MONDAY. BUT.. WORK ON BLONDO STREET - NEAR EZRA MILLARD ELEMENTARY WON'T BE FINISHED UNTIL THE END OF NEXT WEEK AT THE EARLIEST. THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO WRAP UP NEXT SUMMER. THE CITY SUGGESTS PARENTS WALK THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL.. OR CARPOOL SO THERE'S LESS CONGESTION.

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